A Secret Life
by Shiningheart of ThunderClan
Summary: Sasuke wasn't entirely truthful about what happened all those years under Orochimaru. Now secrets are coming out, and no one in Konoha will ever look at the Uchiha the same way again. Rated M for cursing and future lemons. Non-yaoi.
1. A Surprise Introduction

First Naruto fanfiction. Deal with it. It... It can get a bit confusing, so I just ask that you bear with me. The terminology is going to be a mixture of the Japanese version and the English version.

Summary: The real reason why Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't go back to Konoha. Alternate ending of Shippuden. Rated for language and future lemons. NON-YAOI.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

They had him cornered, pinned against the face of a cliff. Sasuke mentally cursed himself for his stupidity. He'd been trying so hard to escape them that he hadn't payed attention to where he was going. Now he was trapped. He knew that, if he turned to climb, he'd likely find a kunai lodged into his back. Not that he didn't deserve it, he was just exceptionally fond of living.

It wasn't even the fact that he was a breath away from death that bothered him the most. It was the expressions on their faces. He studied them carefully, inconspicuously. The oldest one wore the same apathetic look he remembered from his childhood. The one eye that showed was dull and bored, looking like he'd rather be somewhere else. The only thing that suggested otherwise was his firm grip on his kunai.

Sasuke's scrutiny moved on to the next face. The blond man hadn't really changed much since their last encounter some odd three years ago. Maybe a bit leaner in the cheeks and a bit more muscular in the arms, but basically the same. Blond hair sat atop a tanned head, messily styled into the bed-head look. Blue eyes were narrowed in grim determination to 'kick Sasuke-teme's ass and drag him back home'. The Uchiha nearly snorted out loud. Like hell he'd give up that easily.

The third of the group, the only female, wasn't even looking at him. The pinkette's head was tilted toward the ground, making the shockingly bright pink hair shield apple-green eyes. She held two kunais, one in each hand. The grip was tight and shaky, making Sasuke mentally roll his obsidian eyes. Though he couldn't see her eyes, he could almost picture them wide and teary, silently begging him to surrender and go with them. He couldn't withhold the sneer at how pathetic the supposed kunoichi really was.

Naruto, seeing the sneer, took a step forward and said gruffly, "I don't get you, Sasuke. You've got your revenge. Itachi and Orochimaru and Danzo are all dead, all of the people that have caused grief to the Uchiha name. Madara is finished, disappeared and not coming back. Baa-chan has given you full pardon for your crimes against Konoha. Why the hell do you still refuse to come home with us? You know your heart is still loyal, otherwise you would have let Madara destroy us after you killed the old man!"

Sasuke turned a cold stare on him. "My heart is dead." He said it softly, yet it had all the ice and frostiness of winter. "I am loyal only to myself. I have no home." Naruto met his stare with a glare of disbelief. They stayed like that for about ten heart-beats before Sasuke sighed and rose from his defensive crouch, sheathing his sword as he did so. His former team did the same; they wouldn't attack him if he didn't defend himself. Sometimes it was nice to know their honor code. He lost the iciness in his tone, but maintained the softness. "It's not that I don't want to come back, Naruto. It's more so a problem of me not being able to." It wasn't a complete lie, but he didn't expect them to believe it. Maybe if he told enough half-truths and distracted them, he could run away...

As it was, he had to keep his face carefully neutral at the shocked looks Kakashi and Naruto shared. He almost gave the same look when Sakura snapped her head up to glare at him with narrowed eyes. "What the **_hell_** is that supposed to mean?" The two men with her backed away from her as she stomped right up to the missing nin and pointed an accusatory finger in his face. Sasuke only blinked owlishly at the appendage that was an inch from his nose, which is as close as an Uchiha will ever get to openly gaping. "First you leave, then you're back three years later looking like one of Orochi-teme's Lost Boys!"

Sasuke looked over her shoulder to give Naruto a raised eyebrow for the nickname. The blond gave a casual shrug. "What can I say, Sakura has some rage in her cage."

Sakura slowly turned her head to give her teammate a deadly stare. "I'm sorry, did I give the impression that I was finished? Because I wasn't." She gave him a sickly sweet smile that all the men there, including Sasuke, knew was false. Naruto gave his friend a cheeky grin and pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key. "Good. Now where was I?" She looked at Sasuke for clarrification.

And he gave it to her with his brow still raised. "Orochi-teme and the... ahem, lost boys?"

Just like that, the rage was back. "First you leave, then you reappear three freaking years later looking like you're taking it up the ass from that pathetic excuse for a medic nin!" Screw Uchiha pride. Sasuke's jaw practically hit the ground as she continued her rant. "Then, after a stupid game of cat-and-mouse, you finally end up killing both Itachi and Orochimaru and _still_ refuse to come home. After that, you make a _true_ ass out of yourself and join the fuckers that Itachi worked so hard to bring down, and attacked the village he almost _literally_ gave his life to protect! Oh, and that's not all! Let's not forget that, in the process of one battle, you realized how much of a _prick_ you were being, and helped us defeat the bastard that convinced you to attack in the first place!"

She threw her hands up in the air and proceeded to pace between himself and her comrades. If Sasuke wanted to escape while they were distracted, now was the time. He told his feet to move, but they weren't listening. He was as riveted by the pink-haired woman's rant as the other two men. He realized, with no small amount of amusement, that it definitely wasn't sadness that had made her avoid his eyes earlier. "Then, in the middle of the celebration for... hell, pretty much everything, you pull me away to say sorry and fucking _kiss me!" _There was a sharp intake of breath from Kakashi and Naruto. Evidently, this was the first time either had heard of the incident. "Then poof, off you go again for another four years!

"To everyone's surprise, we next hear about you in Wave. What the hell you were doing there, we have no idea. Maybe you were bored, maybe you were travelling, maybe-"

And Sasuke's inner bitch appeared. "Maybe I was feeling nostalgic for before the world went to hell and back. You remember the good old days, naruto, when you were a useless twit and I had to save your ass every other mission?"

Without missing a beat, Naruto shot back, "As apposed to now, when you try to kill me every chance you get?" Sakura's glare returned to him. "Hey, that time was Sasuke's fault!" The glare got darker. "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet!"

She turned her glare on Sasuke. The Uchiha raised a raven-colored eyebrow and crossed his arms, leaning against the rocky face of the cliff they still had him trapped against. "You're going to have to do a bit more than glare, Sakura. I've been stared at by way scarier eyes than yours."

And dammet, the sound of his voice saying her name still sent shivers down her spine! Her fury grew just knowing that. Making a movement with her hands like wringing his neck, Sakura spat out, "You are the most vile, evil, arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic pig I have ever met!"

He shrugged uncaringly, already knowing his smirk was enough to infuriate. Still, it was fun pissing people off. "I've been called worse." he said casually. Her eye twitched, and Sasuke saw her dominant fist clench even tighter. He wondered if she'd drawn blood inside of her glove yet. He knew he only had a few minutes until she punched the wall and crushed them all with a rock slide. He didn't do all this to die just by annoying his former fangirl. "Although, I am curious as to how you knew I was actually in Wave."

Sakura snorted, seeing through his question, but let her hand loosen. "We got a single glimpse of you, _one_, before Naruto here," she jabbed a thumb in the direction of the blond, "got fucking _mobbed_ by fangirls who simply _adore_ him now that he's saved the freaking world." Sasuke let out a harsh bark of laughter, and even Naruto cracked a smile. The irony was not lost on him either. Sakura wasn't done with her narration, though she let this interruption slide. "After Wave, you're in freaking _Suna_, of all places!" She flailed her arms a bit for emphasis. "I've spent enough time there to know there is abso-fucking-lutely _nothing _to catch your interest at all. Answer me this, Uchiha: why the HELL were you in that God-forsaken desert!"

Instead of answering her question, he fired off one of his own. She was getting way too close to the truth than he was comfortable with. "Why do you spend so much time in Suna if you think it sucks so much?"

An almost Sasuke-like smirk spread on Sakura's face. "I only said there was nothing of interest to _you_, Uchiha. After all, Gaara has gotten pretty hot."

More owlish blinking while Naruto began to curse creatively. He ended it with, "-a god-damn pig! How the hell can you think Gaara is hot and I'm not?" Sakura merely stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down. "Sakuraaaaa!" he whined.

She cackled lightly before grinning at Sasuke. Tormenting Naruto had always put her in a better mood. "So, really Sasuke, tell me why you were near Suna!"

Just as she enjoyed messing with Naruto, so Sasuke enjoyed messing with her. He smirked at her, leaning toward her to emphasize his words. "No." She pouted at him. "No." She widened her eyes into a puppy-dog look. "No." She combined the two with a whimper. "No."

One apple-green eye twitched in agitation and she let out a strangled yell before leaping forward to tackle him. Luckily, Naruto foresaw this and managed to catch her, throwing her over her shoulder to limit her movement. That didn't stop her from pounding her fists into his back to be let down. Without chakra, of course. She didn't want to break his spine, after all. "Sakura- Ow! Hey Sakura- Ow! Sakura, please, calm dow- Ow! Stop hitting me dammit!"

While hurting her best friend, Sakura was spewing vicious and graphic threats and insults from her mouth. If Sasuke had been any lesser man, he would have flinched. But he was an Uchiha, and Uchiha do not cringe at such pitiful threats as carving out his intestines and choking him with them. Cutting off his manhood and shoving it so far down his throat he could legally pass for a hermaphrodite was a little concerning, but all Sasuke did was laugh sadistically.

He turned away from the arguing people and looked at Kakashi, who had a look that was half-pained and half-amused on his face. "Well, what about you?" The jonin blinked lazily at him. Sasuke elaborated, "Don't you have a few choice words for your former star pupil?"

The sarcasm that practically dripped from Sasuke's words made the silver-haired man chuckle, and he twirled a kunai almost on reflex in his hand. "I would, but Naruto just has such a way with words, don't you think?" They both looked at where Naruto and Sakura were arguing and smirked. Well, Sasuke smirked. Kakashi's visible eye just kind of... crinkled. "Really though, I'm just here to keep you from escaping if they get too distracted."

Sasuke gave a low curse and a frown. That was exactly what he'd been planning to do. And judging by the sudden silence from Naruto and Sakura, they'd figured it out. He glanced at them to see Sakura with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out indignantly. She really did look quite comfortable on top of his shoulder, too comfortable for their relationship to be purely platonic. Naruto was the one who looked annoyed. "Come on, Teme, just tell her why you were near Suna so she can shut the hell up and get off of my shoulder!"

Sakura gave him a shot to the gut and jumped off when he doubled over. Her arms stayed crossed. "You know what, screw it, I don't even care about the Suna part anymore. Just spit out why you can't come home and we'll let you off with only one broken arm." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and she held up a chakra powered fist. "Dost I see doubt upon thy brow, Uchiha?"

Her choice of words made Sasuke chuckle, but the threat made him raise his hands to block. "No, no doubt here. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've broken my arm." He hesitated before speaking, and had an internal struggle. On one hand, they might not believe him. Heck, he hardly believed it himself. They might want proof, and he knew that _she_ wouldn't take kindly to unannounced visitors. Never had, never did, and likely never will. And besides that, he was having too much fun in their game of cat-and-mouse to end it so quickly.

On the other hand, Sasuke had to admit that Naruto might be... could be... just a tiny bit... right. He wanted to go back to Konoha with them. He wanted to watch in disgust while Naruto practically inhaled his ramen at Ichiraku's. He wanted to sigh in annoyance when Sakura and Ino fought over who would sit next to him in class. He wanted his _life_ back. Common sense told him this was impossible, but he decided to go with the next best thing.

He didn't realized that he was pacing in thought, or running his hand through his hair. His former comrades found this display to be quite disturbing, considering he'd always seemed so calm and stoic and unmovable, even during their childhood. He didn't see Naruto or Sakura exchange worried glances, nor did he acknowledge that Kakashi's grip had retightened on his weapon of choice. No, Sasuke Uchiha didn't realize the tension he was causing his fellow ninja.

He combed his hair once more before stopping and sighing. He'd made his decision, but it wasn't a decision he made lightly. When Sasuke faced Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, his dark eyes were graver than any of them ever remembered them being. "It's probably better for me to show you guys why I can't go back. I just have one request before I lead you to where we're going." Team Kakashi exchanged thoughtful looks before Naruto nodded for all of them. "Don't judge me."

And off the foursome shot, leaping through the trees and heading east. On instinct, Sasuke spread his senses to take in his surroundings. Kakashi was almost always one step behind him. When Sasuke leaped from a branch, Kakashi would land and follow a beat behind. Naruto was directly to his right, keeping as even with him as he could without knowing where they were going. Sakura was following by half a step on his left. He thought that meant she was keeping up better than Kakashi, until he saw a shuriken held carefully in her hand.

So then, they were just being sure to box him in... For some reason, that made him disappointed. Did he really think they'd trust him so easily, after all these years of chasing and being chased, of fighting and hatred and violence? Thoughts like those followed him the entire way. He led them for about half a mile until they got to a wooden cabin that was half hidden by ivy and lichen. If Sasuke hadn't led them right to it, none of them would have even realized it was there.

They hid behind a bush that was a foot taller than Kakashi and could fit five Choji's, perfect for seeing without being seen. Sasuke crouched behind it and looked warily out at the cabin. After some deep breathing to calm himself down, he glared at the others. "Alright, all of you, listen up. This could very easily become a battle field if not handled correctly." They snapped to attention at that. "First things first, hide your hai-ates. The first person you're going to meet has a thing against ninjas. She only tolerates me because... Well, you'll see."

And of course, Naruto and Kakashi latched on to only one of those words. Twin lecherous grins spread on their faces, and Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow while wearing a foxy expression. "_She_, Sasuke? Are you telling us you can't come home because of a _girl_?"

Sasuke sighed in annoyance while the other men laughed at his expense. "That would be the part you pick up on, wouldn't it?" he growled lowly. He looked at Sakura to see if she was laughing as well. She wasn't. She wasn't even paying attention. She was staring intently at the one glowing window. "What's up, Pinky?"

To his surprise, she didn't even seem to notice the barb. "How many people are in there, Sasuke?" He held up two fingers silently. "Is one of them a big guy, taller than Kakashi?" He frowned and shook his head. "Did you leave anyone in there with whatever girl you're shacking up with?" He grimaced at her wording, but shook his head again. "Uh oh." She instinctively touched her weapons pouch, but Sasuke grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Sasuke! Someone's in there with whoever you're with! Aren't you the least bit worried?"

All three Konoha ninja blinked in shock when Sasuke flashed them a genuine grin. "For this one instance, trust me when I say this: Youko knows how to take care of herself." A resounding crash heralded the entrance- or rather, exit- of a body being thrown through the door. "Told you."

A woman quickly followed after the expelled man, standing on the wooden porch with arms crossed over her chest. She wore a white tank top that showed a strip of skin between the hem and her pants. Baggy jeans sagged on her hips with way too many pockets to count. They couldn't see eye color from where they hid, but her hair was bright red and was tied into a high ponytail. They could clearly see a scowl on her face. "Get out, stay out, and tell the bastard who keeps sending you pricks to knock it off!"

A frown came to Sasuke's face as the man fled right past where the group was hiding. "Someone keeps sending people? This is the first I've heard of it... Stay here while I try to find out what's going on." He turned to look directly at Naruto as he said this, but the blonde was no longer there. He looked back to where the red-head stood, somehow not at all surprised to see his old friend already trying to talk to her. "Dumb-ass..." he sighed.

Gesturing with his hand for them to follow, he led Kakashi and Sakura out into the open to where Naruto was beaming with a wide smile. "Hiya, I'm Uzumaki, Naruto! I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Believe it!"

She raised an eyebrow at home and said dryly, "Uh huh... good luck with that." She looked past him to give Sasuke a cold look. "Are these people... _friends_ of yours, Sasuke?"

He gave an internal wince while keeping his outward appearance neutral. He knew that tone, as well as that face. He was in trouble, and trouble was the last thing he needed to convince her to trust them enough to introduce Souta. "Well... In a way, I suppose you could say we were friends, but... I guess you'd have to use the term loosely, what with all the shit we've put each other through..." She raised an eyebrow in question. "These are the people from the bed time stories I used to tell Souta when he was younger."

A look of recognition dawned on her face, and she turned a new eye on the Konoha ninja. "Ah, the ninjas from Konoha." She looked at each of them while naming them, "Hatake, Kakashi... Haruno, Sakura... Uzumaki, Naruto..." She looked at Kakashi and gave him a quick grin that startled the oldest man there. "Just so you know, Kakashi, you're the only one from the stories I respect. Is it true that you once got your ass handed to you by Sasuke's older brother?"

Kakashi gave a visible wince and said, "That's a memory I'd rather soon forget." He glared at Sasuke half-heartedly and pouted. It was a sight that made Naruto and Sakura snicker. "Did that have to be the part you told her? Not the part where I sliced lightning in two with the chidori, or how I saved your ass in Wave when Zabuza nearly killed you?"

Sasuke snorted and glared right back while retorting, "And then you got yourself trapped in a Water Prison Jutsu and had to be saved by the dumb-ass and me!" Naruto, after suffering years of such abuse as Sasuke's hand, only stuck his tongue out at the other man. Sasuke gave him an unimpressed face before looking back at the red-haired woman, who's grin quickly shifted into a scowl. "At least let me do introductions before you chase them away." She snorted and turned her face away from him, but didn't protest when he climbed up the steps next to her. The group on the ground realized that she was about half-a-head shorter than him. Her forehead only hit his chin. "Guys, this is Youko. She's a giant pain in the ass," her head whipped around to glare at him, "but she's one of the best fighters I've ever seen. And that's saying something!"

Instead of taking the compliment, Youko punched him in the side and smirked when he rubbed it. "Flattery won't get you out of being my bitch for the next month. It doesn't change the fact that you brought three enemy ninja to our home." She looked at both Naruto and Sakura with absolutely no attempt to hide the disgust. "A fangirl and a fool. I wouldn't have minded if you'd just brought Kakashi and the Hokage, since Kakashi kicks ass and I'd like to meet the women that makes you shit a brick every time you think of pissing her off, but these two?"

Both pairs of green and blue eyes narrowed and darkened, but Sakura managed to say what both were thinking first. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but if you have a problem with us, Youko, stop pussy-footing around and say it." Naruto paused in his obvious internal battle to blink at her. Not really what he wanted to say, but far more polite. What does that tell us?

Youko smirked and rose to her full height, which wasn't really needed since the porch gave her a good foot and a half over the pinkette's head. "Yes. Yes I do. First of all, any woman that becomes a kunoichi for the sole purpose of impressing her crush, who himself is rather pathetic, is due for an ass-kicking. Anyone that finds this dick hot," she jerked her head at Sasuke, who seemed oddly neutral about being insulted twice in a row," needs to be shot in the foot."

Then her attention turned to Naruto. Her smirk dropped and her face became stony. "Naruto Uzumaki... The fool that chase's a fool's dream. You're going to die, you know." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "It's not really something to be surprised about. All ninja die before their time. It's just the way it is. But those who strive to be the best and aren't usually just fall flat on their face." She smiled sadistically when he gritted his teeth. "Hopefully it will help fix your nose."

Naruto seemed to swell up in indignant rage. Sasuke could almost hear him planning out a dramatic speech that the recipient would later think on, realize he's right, then change the entire way they live solely on the word of a dumb-ass blond with a dream. He foresaw pain in Naruto's very near future, a lot of it. To save him, not that Sasuke cared, he quickly asked, "Where's Souta? I want him to meet them. What do you think the chances of him fainting?"

Youko didn't seem to think it was funny. She gave him a cold look. "I put him to bed early after bandaging his hands. He's been sneaking out at night after I fall asleep to practice with the kunai you left him. Take it when you leave again. I don't know how many times I've told you before, but I will keep repeating it until you get it through your damn head: I don't want my nephew to become a ninja."

The Konoha ninja gave him a curious look, but he ignored it for the moment and gave her an equally cold look. "And I don't know how many times I've told you, neither of us have a right to stop him if he wants to." Her lips pulled back in a snarl, and Sasuke subtly braced himself for an attack from her. "I've seen too many families torn apart over someone's decision to train or not train as a ninja. I will not have you turn mine into one of them."

She looked about ready to charge, but straightened up at a timid voice that came from inside the cabin. "Youko? What's going on?" A small boy, looking about 8 years old, crept through the hole. He had messy violet hair that made him look like he'd just crawled out of bed. The fact that he was wearing rumpled pj's gave testament to that conclusion. It was his eyes that made the Konoha ninja stare. Dark eyes, as black and deep as the night sky, stared back warily at them. Then those eyes turned to Sasuke, and they widened happily. "Papa, you're back!"

"PAPA?" All three yelled out. The young boy ran to Sasuke and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He didn't seem to mind, even bending down to give him a small hug in return. Naruto stepped forward with disbelief on his face. "Sasuke, you have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Sasuke rose from the hug and faced them, though the child still clung to him. He nodded and placed a hand on the youngster's head. "Souta, do you remember those stories I used to tell you when you were still a toddler?" Souta nodded. "These are the people in them. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi." Souta stared at them in wonder and gave as much of a wave as he could while still being attached to Sasuke's side. "Guys, this is Souta... My son."


	2. Questions and Answers

Ugh... I hate having to figure out a timeline. You guys have no idea how much trouble figuring out Souta's age gave me. So you'd better enjoy this and leave a review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>Chapter 2: Q&amp;A<p>

Sasuke knew Youko was pissed beyond belief. She'd opted to stay outside on the porch while he led the Konoha ninja into the house, citing a need for a guard now that the door was gone. He kindly avoided reminding her that she was the one who broke it in the first place, especially since he knew she was really only out there to calm herself down. He knew her well enough to know the consequences of annoying her before she calmed. He quite liked his balls where they were, thank you very much.

So right now, Team Kakashi plus one Uchiha were sitting at a rectangular table. Sakura and Naruto sat across from him while Kakashi sat at the head part to the left. All four of them were cradling drinks in their hands. Sasuke and Kakashi both had black coffee while Sakura had tea. Naruto, for reasons that Sasuke really didn't want to know, opted for hot chocolate. The only reason Sasuke knew all of their choices was because he'd been the one to prepare them all.

For five minutes, no one said or did anything besides drinking and staring at each other. Admittedly it was more them staring at him, but you get the idea. Sasuke gulped half of his cup in one go and placed it on the table with a sigh. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he knew there was no escaping it. "So," he said, placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together in front of his face, "questions?"

He wasn't really surprised when Naruto was the first to fire one off. He raised his hand, palm open, to indicate he had a question. "My question is actually rather simple, you see." Sasuke raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but nodded for him to continue. Naruto abruptly brought his hand down to slap at the table loudly. "What the hell, Sasuke?"

Sasuke waited for a bit of an elaboration, but sighed when it was that that was all the blond had. "You're going to have to be a little more specific, dobe." he said flatly with his forehead pressed against his hands. Naruto said nothing, just flailed his arms wildly and gestured with one limb toward where Youko was surely listening from outside and the other down the hall, where Sasuke had sent Souta back to bed. Deciding to have a bit of fun at his former best friend's expense, Sasuke drawled, "Yes, their names are Youko and Souta. I've already introduced them. Is your brain really so pathetically weak that you've forgotten already?"

A smirk of triumph found it's way to his face when one of Naruto's blue eyes twitched in annoyance. Sasuke even thought he heard a swift snicker from Youko. To his credit, all Naruto did was take a deep breath and ground out, "Thanks for that, _buddy._" The amount of sarcasm that dripped from the word almost brought a genuine grin to Sasuke's face, but he warded it off by making his smirk grow. "But really," Naruto shook off his aggravation with ease, "how did you meet them? You've already said Souta was your son, and I'm not that naive to not know where babies come from. Youko seems to be an odd choice for the mother of your child, unless you're into that kinky shit-"

If the topic of the conversation didn't disgust him, Sasuke would have laughed at Naruto's choice of words. "You guys think Youko is-" he cut himself off with a shudder. "Dudes, I can't even begin to tell you how disgusting that is. Just the _thought_ of screwing her is enough to give me nightmares." _'Not like I don't have them already.' _"And I'm not just being my usual asshole-self. Youko thinks the same about me." Raising his voice, he said loud enough for Youko to hear, "Right Youko?"

Though he couldn't see her, he could picture her annoyed glare and flipping him off for her response. "Fuck you, Uchiha! I can barely stand to be around you. Imagining you naked if enough to make me blow chunks." A gagging sound quickly followed this proclomation.

Sasuke turned to his companions with eyebrows raised in a 'told ya' fashion. Naruto and Sakura had their heads thrown back in laughter while Kakashi's visible eye twinkled in amusement. "My, how... eloquent." their former sensei said. Youko appeared in the doorway with an annoyed look directed to him. Kakashi gazed lazily back, resting his cheek on his fist. Youko rolled her eyes and walked passed them, toward the kitchen. Kakashi's gaze dropped by to watch her hips sway as she walked. When he looked back at Sasuke, the Uchiha had his Sharingan activated and seemed to be struggling not to go Mangekyo. "What?"

The raven-haired rogue growled darkly and said, "Don't even think about it, Kakashi. Youko isn't on the market for creepy, gray-haired porn pushers."

Kakashi looked mightily insulted and put a hand up to his hair. "My hair is silver, dammit, not gray!" He noticed all three of his former students looking at him expectantly, and he just shrugged at them. "No, the rest of it is pretty much true." His easy admittance prompted an Uchiha sweat-drop and an anime-fall from the other two. Kakashi gave a quiet chuckle before metallic clanging could be heard from where Youko had gone.

Sasuke heard it as well, and rose into a half-crouch. "You okay in there, Youko?" he called out. In response, she cursed at him and came out with a steaming cup held carefully in her hand. Sasuke sat back down as she took the seat on his right. He narrowed his eyes on the cup before transferring his look to her face. "You're having nightmares again? What happened to the medicine we picked up in Suna?"

Both ignored the triumphant 'ha!' from Sakura while Youko took a large swig of her tea. She gave no sign that the heat bothered her. "I took the last of it two days ago. You'd know that if you'd stop going out gallivanting whenever the urge strikes you." He glared and looked ready to argue, but she waved her hand at him. "Leave it. We'll discuss it when there isn't an audience." They stared at each other challengingly before Sasuke nodded acceptance.

A silence stretched between this one, but it wasn't nearly as strained as when the conversation had started. The air buzzed with unasked questions, but the Konoha ninja were respectful enough to not ask unless the other two wanted to know. The quiet went on for longer, though. Considering one of those people was Naruto, that in itself was a downright miracle. Kakashi abruptly broke it with a question. "How old is Souta?"

Sasuke blinked at the sudden question. He counted in his head and mused outloud, "Well... I've been gone from Konoha for about 10 years, right?" Everyone but Youko, who wouldn't know, nodded. "I was with Orochimaru for three years and met Souta's mom in the second year. We eventually kept running into each other in the field, and ended up..." He glanced at Youko to see her eyes narrowed dangerously, and he thought carefully of his words before saying slowly, "And I..." Her eyes became narrowed slits and Sasuke started to get nervous. "Oh come on, Youko, there's seriously no way for me to say it without sounding like a man-whore!"

Without missing a beat, she retorted, "You are a man-whore, Uchiha." They scowled at each other, causing great amusement for those watching, before Youko abruptly turned to Kakashi and bluntly said, "He's 8. Souta Uchiha is 8 years old." She turned back to Sasuke with a mocking grin. "There, see, that wasn't so hard."

In a moment of great immaturity, Sasuke stuck his tongue out as retaliation while Youko pulled her nose up at him. Naruto fell off of his seat laughing at them while Sakura at least tried to be polite and hide her laughter behind her hand. After Sasuke poked Youko in the side and she squeaked, though, she joined Naruto in his hysterics. Kakashi watched all this with a critical eye and deduced that Youko and Sasuke really didn't mean his friends any harm. Unfortunately, he had to call them back to the matter at hand. He did so with a soft clearing of the throat.

It took a while, but all four, even Youko, settled back down and flashed him an apologetic and slightly sheepish grin. "Sorry Kakashi." they all chorused. He almost shuddered at the creepiness while Youko and Sasuke smirked and Naruto and Sakura high-fived with cackles.

When they started to act like adults instead of teenagers, he asked a question that he wasn't entirely sure would be well received. "About Souta... Has he had any ninja training at all? Even the basics?"

It sobered the group up immediately, and Youko answered with a scowl that spoke volumes of her feelings for the topic. "Not a lot, but yes. Taijutsu and weapons training, mostly. We just started on chakra control this morning, particularly it's concealment." Kakashi made a thoughtful noise and Youko glared down at her drink. "And because I know you're going to ask eventually, his sharingan hasn't activated yet."

Sasuke took this moment to reveal a secret worry of his. He gave a weary sigh and put his fingers to his temples. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I'm actually dreading the day that happens." He turned to Youko when she made a surprised sound and explained. "When I got my Sharingan when we were young, we were in Wave. It kept randomly activating on the way home because I couldn't control it. The random chakra build up and release attracted rogue nins from everywhere within a 5-mile radius. They would have killed us if they didn't flee at the sight of Kakashi."

She snorted and sent a swift smirk to the silver-haired jounin. "Just another piece of evidence that you kick ass, Kakashi." He gave a mock sheepish look that made her laugh before she turned back to Sasuke with a serious look. "But I can see why you're worried. We'll need to take guard in shifts, meaning we'd need a system of bathroom breaks and eating. At the very least until he learns control."

She and Sasuke continued to swap idea for a few minutes before Naruto spoke up softly. "Or else... Or else you guys could come back to Konoha with us..." Everyone looked at him in surprise, and he hurried to defend his idea. "Well, it's not like you have better options! Baa-chan has already excused Sasuke from everything, so he's fine. Souta has Uchiha blood, so Konoha won't turn him away. And Youko..." he trailed off as he found the slight hitch in his plan.

Youko finished for him, her voice tinged in bitterness. "I'm unknown, therefore a threat. If I'm not arrested or killed on sight, then I'll be separated from Souta. I refuse to let that happen, not when he's-" She abruptly cut herself off and looked down with a pained look. Sasuke knew what she was thinking, and closed his eyes in a rare expression of sorrow. When she continued, he knew it wasn't what she was first going to say. "Not when he's so young."

All three Konoha ninja stared at them, but none wanted to ask. The air was heavy again with the third silence of the night. A distant noise assaulted Sasuke's ears, and he looked out the doorway to see the sky becoming overrun with dark clouds. "It's going to storm soon." he muttered soon.

Youko looked up with a bitter look. "Ugh, I hate storms." she growled before looking at Sakura. "You can have my room for the night, Sakura. I won't be using it." She stood and looked down at Sasuke. "Is it alright if I can set up tamami mats for the boys?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Wow, you're actually asking? I was kind of half-expecting to walk into my room and step on Naruto's face." She gave him a scathing look, making him raise his hands defensively. "Sure, go ahead. Just do me a favor and leave a path to my bed, will ya? I don't want to step on either of them." She nodded and led Sakura down the hall, out of their sight. Sasuke eyed the companions with a warning look. "Wait Souta up and your balls will be gone before morning."

Naruto's face became notably a shade paler and both nodded. They followed the girls down the hall and Sasuke enjoyed a few minutes of being peace before he stood and went outside, watching the clouds roll closer. Youko joined him soon, and they watched the storm together for a total of half an hour before Youko asked, "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

He didn't have to ask to know she was talking about Konoha. "It isn't the worst idea Naruto has ever had." he admitted. When Youko didn't immediately shoot down the idea, he continued slowly. "It... It might be best for Souta. He won't have to move around like we did when he was a baby, and we wouldn't have to be on constant guard, fearing an attack. He'd have a safe place to practice, and when his Sharingan activates no one would think anything of it."

Youko turned her head away so he couldn't see her face. "I know." she whispered, and the first drops of rain fell down. It soon became a steady fall, and the storm found it's rhythm. "I know," she repeated in a stronger voice, "but that doesn't mean I have to like the idea. I stand by what I said. If I'm unknown, there's no way they're going to let me in with you guys. If I'm not arrested or killed, they'll chase me away. And... And I don't want to leave you, either of you." She turned to look at him, and black met green as they locked gazes. "I know I give you hell, Sasuke, and God knows how we haven't killed each other yet with how much shit we put each other through, but I don't hate you. I've never really hated you."

A true smile made it's way to his face, and he said softly, "I know, Youko. It's still nice to hear it, though." Without really thinking, he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She stiffened at the contact and stayed stiff until Sasuke released her. He got a good look at her red face before she smashed her fist into his gut, making him grunt and double over. "Ow." he coughed out, rubbing his belly.

She huffed at him and turned away, her face still burning. "You know I don't like physical contact, you jerk! Especially hugs! Why the hell do you continue to do that!"

He choked out a laugh and smirked at her, a malicious twinkle in his eyes. "Because I just love pissing you off, even if it's detrimental to my health."

A growl and a slap upside the head later, Youko pushed the Uchiha inside and pointed towards his room. "Go. Bed. Now. If you don't go soon, I might actually kill you. Then they'll never let me into Konoha." He was still chuckling when he started walking, so he just barely missed her, "Good night. If you have another nightmare, you know where to find me."

He nodded and gave his own farewell before going to his room. Somehow, he wasn't really all that surprised to see Naruto lopsided on his mat, snoring loud enough that Sasuke wondered why he didn't hear it from the porch. He made his way to his bed, unconsciously using his training to keep quiet, before flopping down. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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><p>AN: Just because I KNOW someone's going to ask, no this won't be a Sasuke/OC fanfiction. This is pathetically short to my standards, literally about half of the first chapter. I thought it was a good place to leave off. Comments, questions, concerns, complains, flames, snow, ice, rain, cookies, chocolate, s'mores, anything you wanna give me will be taken. And just so you know, the part where Sasuke's talking about his sharingan was complete BS on my part. Thanks for reading, now review!


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